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NoFear wrote I mentioned that Mike Nolan no longer has the decision on retaining players, which he doesn’t. The reason I didn’t preface those remarks on players Mike Martz might want to retain or sign is because Martz is bringing in a new offense that will require different types of players. Whether Scot McCloughan and his personnel department see it that way will be interesting. McCloughan and Nolan tried to build a hard-running offense, hence the drafting of Adam Snyder and David Baas and the signings of Jonas Jennings and Larry Allen.

Several sources said McCloughan didn’t want Martz because McCloughan didn’t think the 49ers’ talent was set up to support his system. McCloughan apparently didn’t want Duane Carlisle taking over for the retiring Johnny Parker as the strength and conditioning coach, but Carlisle was hired anyway.

Some believe Nolan, hurting after being stripped of his personnel power, wanted to exercise his authority with his coaching staff, so he hired the volatile Martz, who no one in the organization wanted. I don’t know if that’s true. Nolan, instead, could have looked at his special teams, which was arguably the best in the league, and his defense which was decent, and said, “If I get an offense, this thing could turn around.”

So he turned to Mr. Instant Offense.

In St. Louis, fans clamored for Dick Vermeil’s firing after he went 5-11 and then 4-12. So Vermeil hired Martz in 1999, and the Rams went from 4-12 to 13-3 and won the Super Bowl. The offense went from 27th in total yards to first after the team traded for running back Marshall Faulk, who replaced Amp Lee. The Rams also ditched quarterback Tony Banks who had thrown seven touchdowns and 14 interceptions and then they signed Trent Green, who Martz had coached in Washington.

Green blew out his knee in the first exhibition game and Martz promoted Kurt Warner, a third-string quarterback into the starters spot and we all know what happened.

The point is Martz completely remade that offense in one year. If Nolan hired Cam Cameron or Chan Gailey, they would probably require a few years to install their offense, and Nolan doesn’t have that luxury, so Martz is his man.

Here are the main questions with Martz:

-Can Frank Gore be his Marshall Faulk? Gore gained 1,695 yards in 2006 and led the team in receptions in each of the last two years basically as a check down receiver. Imagine if he’s the primary receiver? Gore is just as instinctive, and is probably a better inside runner than Faulk, but won’t be a coach on the field like Faulk was. Gore, unlike Faulk, who wanted to know everything about the offense, just wants to know what he has to do on a given play. Still, Gore could be as effective as Faulk in his own way.

-Will Alex Smith or Shaun Hill be his Kurt Warner? Even Trent Green, when he got his chance to start for five games after Warner was injured in 2000 couldn’t be Warner. At his zenith, Warner read coverages so quickly and he had the size (225) to stand in for the deep drops of the Martz offense. Marc Bulger at a spindly 212 didn’t handle the pressure as well as Warner. At first glance, it would appear Hill would have the better chance. He’s 226 pounds and has proven to be accurate. His injuries in just a short period are a concern. But Hill might fit Martz’s three top requirements of toughness, intelligence and accuracy.

-Can any of the 49ers receivers be Torry Holt or Isaac Bruce? Darrell Jackson is the best possibility. He did have trouble catching passes and he doesn’t separate on deep routes, but he can get open in the short and intermediate area. He has a good chance to revive his career with Martz because his offense would get Jackson open and give him space to catch the ball. Also, Isaac Bruce might be Isaac Bruce. If the Rams cut 14th year vet, it would take about 15 seconds before Martz would want him. Bruce can no longer out run a secondary, but like Jackson, he can get open. Just ask Nate Clements.

-Can Martz work and play well with others? He’s extremely demanding and he did alienate many of his fellow coaches in Detroit. Martz didn’t seem to have those problems as much in St. Louis, because he was comfortable with his own staff.

-Will the personnel department, who didn’t want Martz, get him the players he needs? Who knows how much the Nolan-McCloughan relationship was damaged by Martz’s hiring, maybe not at all. It remains to be seen.